Business: Uber Banned in France

The car-sharing service that has taken the U.S. by storm, Uber, has been banned in France after the country experienced a “storm” of its own. Taxi drivers in France held a day of protests in the streets against UberPOP, a branch of Uber that offers private drivers to customers at lower costs than taxi services and sometimes other Uber services as well. Tires were burned in the streets, barriers were put onto highways, and many roads were almost completely inaccessible. Key airports in France had to warn travelers to use trains to get to and from the airport because there was no access otherwise. Some were forced to walk along highways to reach airports. This protest comes after taxi drivers’ claims that Uber drivers have been stealing 30-40% of their income. Taxi drivers believe it is unfair that they have paid thousands for a taxi license while Uber drivers are not required to do so. Uber has been illegal in France since January, but the law has been almost impossible to enforce. France’s interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, ordered police to issue a decree outlawing the service and stated “any cars defying the order would be seized.”